Google's Motorola Unit to Cut 10% of Workforce

By

Amir Efrati

March 8, 2013 12:02 a.m. ET

Google Inc.'s Motorola Mobility hardware unit has begun laying off about 1,200 employees, or more than 10% of its headcount, according to a company email reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, as the smartphone maker continues trying to return to profitability.

Motorola staffers were informed by the company via email this week that "while we're very optimistic about the new products in our pipeline, we still face challenges." The company email added that "our costs are too high, we're operating in markets...